Social media improves chronic disease care

A new approach to using social media in healthcare is being pioneered in the Netherlands, according to a study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Focused on chronic disease care, this strategy breaks down the boundaries between online communities for doctors and patients to promote better care and empower patients to take better care of themselves. The Dutch study examines three different types of online health communities (OHCs) in which patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) participate. All are used in association with ParkinsonNet, a professional network that includes physicians and allied health professionals who treat these patients.